PostScript printer fonts -- outline fonts -- are defined as mathematical
constructs that form the outline of the character. Each font (for example:
Helvetica 12 bold, Times 18) must be converted into bitmaps before it can be
printed on the LaserWriter. The bitmapped characters are stored (cached) in
RAM; they will remain in RAM until the memory space is required by other
bitmapped fonts, or by other system tasks. Each time a font that is no longer
in the memory is required for a document, it must be reconstructed.
You can decrease the need to rebuild font bitmaps on a LaserWriter IIntx by
adding RAM and/or attaching SCSI hard disks. When additional fonts must be
downloaded and cached, RAM is checked first for available caching space. If no
RAM is available, and the existing cached fonts are not needed by the current
job, they will be replaced. If all RAM-cached fonts are used in the present
print job, the new font will be cached in the space on the hard disk allocated
for font-caching. This eliminates the need to reconstruct the bitmaps of those
fonts which would have been removed if no hard disk space were available, and
if RAM caching had exceeded its limits.